Last year, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict Redinel Dervishaj, above, in the March 17, 2012, slaying of Antonio (Anthony) Lacertosa, 27, outside the former Espana Restaurant in Annadale. Dervishaj had claimed self-defense.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island cop and two associates -- one of whom fatally stabbed a groom-to-be last year outside an Annadale restaurant -- shook down a Queens restaurant owner earlier this year, demanding cash for "protection" and threatening violence if the victim didn't play ball, allege authorities.

Busted were the officer, Besnik Llakatura, 34, a Staten Island resident, along with Redinel Dervishaj, 37, of Queens, and Denis Nikolla, 33, of Brooklyn, said authorities on Tuesday.

The alleged shakedown occurred between May and November of this year, said court papers.

According to authorities, the three suspects demanded payments from a Queens restaurant owner in exchange for "protection." They repeatedly threatened violence and intimidated him to ensure his compliance, said officials.

The victim, like the suspects, is of Albanian descent, authorities said.

When the victim sought help from his friend Llakatura after Dervishaj threatened him, the cop told the man he had no choice but to make the payments, said authorities.

When the victim resisted, Nikolla chased him down at gunpoint, said authorities.

In all, the suspects collected $24,000 in so-called "protection" money from the victim, court papers said.

The suspects were brought down by wiretaps, authorities said.

In one recorded conversation, Llakatura joked abut how he "taxes" local businesses, said authorities.

Llakatura, who was assigned to the 120th Precinct in St. George, has been suspended without pay, said authorities.

The suspects are slated to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn federal court.

They will be charged with extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion and firearm possession, said a spokesman for Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, whose office is prosecuting the case.

The arrests were announced by Ms. Lynch, George Venizelos, assistant director-in-charge of the FBI's New York Field Office and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly.